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Giardino di Boboli
Giardino di Boboli (Boboli Gardens), Florence, Italy (cc)
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Giardino di Boboli
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Giardino di Boboli is Florence's most famous public garden, which owes its existence to the wife of Cosimo I, Elenora di Toledo, who insisted that the hilly area behind the Palazzo Pitti be turned into gardens. She commissioned Tribolo to transform it into what is now one of the most important remaining examples of Italian landscaping, with fountains, grottoes and some amazing sculptures. It’s an opportunity to sit, relax and take in the great views over town from the summit. Don’t miss the Isolotto, the small island in the center of the water garden, Buontalenti’s grotto, the Kaffeehaus in its 18th-century Rococo pavilion, or the vast amphitheater where opera is said to have been born. Recently reopened after five years of restorative work, the adjoining Forte di Belvedere – considered “Florence’s balcony” for its far-reaching views – is also well worth a peek. The commission was given to Buontalenti at the end of the 16th century by Ferdinando I who wanted a Medici stronghold in case of uprisings in the city. Interestingly, it encapsulates an earlier Ammannati palace, which is itself said to have been built on the spot of a secret well guarding Medici treasures. Also home to the Belvedere dell’Arte exhibition, the Forte is a great place to visit in summer when live music concerts are held and films are shown in an atmospheric open-air theater.
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